Moral Philosophy, Introduction Introduction to Philosophy Jason M. Chang

Lecture Outline 1. Intro to ethics 2. Moral theory 3. Queen v. Dudley and Stevens

Intro to moral philosophy Morality (or ethics) Definition Morality vs. the law

Intro to moral philosophy Moral philosophy (aka ethics) Definition Social science vs. moral philosophy

Intro to moral philosophy What questions arise when discussing a hospital’s euthanasia policy?

Intro to moral philosophy Sub-divisions in moral philosophy o Applied ethics o Normative ethics o Metaethics

Moral theory Trolley problems o Trolley o Sumo Question What makes an act morally right? What makes an act morally wrong?

Moral theory o Definition o Features of a moral theory  General  Prescriptive

Moral theory Types of moral theory o Consequentialist theories o Non-consequentialist theories

Moral theory Moral theories covered in this course o Consequentialist theories  Egoism  Utilitarianism o Non-consequentialist theories  Divine command theory  Natural law theory  Kantianism

The Queen v. Dudley and Stevens

Facts: May 19, 1884: The English yacht Mignoette sets sail Crew = Dudley, Stephens, Brooks, and Parker the cabin boy July 5: Mignoette sunk; crew forced onto lifeboat Crew has little food and no drinking water July 18: Dudley and Stephens kill Parker Crew feeds on Parker’s body and blood

The Queen v. Dudley and Stevens The issue Whether Tom Dudley and Edwin Stevens did the morally right thing